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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27024493">Halloween Memories | Mulder and Scully</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/WillowRose99/pseuds/WillowRose99'>WillowRose99</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Spooky October Fics [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The X-Files</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fox Mulder Angst, Fox doesn't like halloween, Grief/Mourning, Halloween, crying in a diner, dead children</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 16:41:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,011</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27024493</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/WillowRose99/pseuds/WillowRose99</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>On the night of Halloween, Mulder and Scully can’t help but remember Halloween as children, and during dinner, it leads to tears.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Fox Mulder &amp; Dana Scully, Fox Mulder &amp; Samantha Mulder, Fox Mulder/Dana Scully</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Spooky October Fics [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1945531</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Halloween Memories | Mulder and Scully</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Mulder grew up, Halloween was a holiday that passed him by in a whirlwind of cases and long nights in the office, finishing up reports for Skinner and falling asleep on his sofa. To him, it was just another day, there was nothing special about it and he never really thought about it when the shops were suddenly filled with Halloween decorations, children were dressing up as their favourite superhero, the most popular monster and or the newest movie character that had captured the imagination of all the little children. </p>
<p>In truth, Mulder hadn’t cared for Halloween since his sister died, and he didn’t think he ever would again. Until he and Scully got stuck in Los Angeles on Halloween night, the planes back to D.C all cancelled because of a storm approaching. </p>
<p>He was grumpy, tired and sore, with a deep ache in his stomach for food that was fried and covered in salt and oil, and a great longing for another mediocre motel bed to collapse on as the night drew on. So, when Scully suggested grabbing some dinner at the diner around the corner, he didn’t argue, just pocketed his wallet, motel and car keys and pulled on his coat. </p>
<p>Scully, on the other hand, was happy that night, a bright glint in her eye as the two of them walked down the busy streets of the city, a small smile on her face as she looked at the large plastic jack-o-lanterns that hung from the street lights and the tall black witches hat banners that decorated the trees on the sidewalk, intertwined with twinkling little lights that made the street glow as the rest of the city went dark. </p>
<p>She loved Halloween, and always had since she was a child, fondly remembering the nights that she would hold her dads’ hand in one of hers and the other clutching tight a pillowcase filled with candy. Her mother always let her pick her costumes, and always took the family photos at the front door with her large polaroid camera, making Scully and her siblings smile bright and pose. But now, with no kids and less and less family to spend the holidays with, she also found herself forgetting about the spooky day, not realising what day of the month it was until she stepped out into the street with Mulder beside her, case all wrapped up and reports written. </p>
<p>“You know, my favourite holiday of the year was Halloween.” The two of them had been silent until she spoke, and she could see Mulder glancing down at her from the corner of her eye, face puzzled and mouth pulled tight. “It was the one holiday as a kid where we didn’t need to go to church or get together with the extended family or any of my father’s navy friends. It was just us…as a family.” </p>
<p>“And let me guess, little Scully always dressed up as a doctor, with a big white lab coat and a pair of scrubs.” Mulder’s voice was soft, but Scully could hear the hint of tenseness that Mulder was feeling. But she let out a small laugh, bright and airy that made the corners of her partner's mouth move up in the hint of a smile, and suddenly was determined to make Mulder talk about Halloween, to make this night good for the both of them.</p>
<p>“I can’t like to you Mulder, I think I did go as a doctor for most of my years in elementary and middle school, mainly because it was the easiest costume I could think of, and the lab coat kept fitting.” His smile grew larger at that as he held the door to the diner open for Scully, who stepped into the small building as she spoke.</p>
<p>They took their seats in the corner booth, right at the end of the building and away from the counter and the rest of the customers, preferring quiet over loud noises and constant movement after they’ve finished a case, and soon a waitress was over to take their drink requests; a beer for each of them and a glass of water as well for Scully.</p>
<p>“Well, if you dressed up as a doctor half the time, what did your sister and brothers dress up as?” Mulder took a sip of his beer as soon as it was brought over to him, and Scully ran her finger over the edge of the tall wine glass as she thought back.</p>
<p>“Bill was almost always some type of law enforcement officer, police, army, navy, even went as an FBI agent for one Halloween.” She gulped down some wine as Mulder looked up at her from the menu, eyes shining bright as he opened his mouth to speak.</p>
<p>“Wait…you’re telling me that both you and Bill both dressed up as your future careers for Halloween? That Bill dressed up as a navy man and became a navy man? Damn, Scully, what are the chances of that?” Scully knew he was joking, that there was no seriousness to his quip, and she laughed with him, resting her elbows on the edge of the tabletop. </p>
<p>“You know me, Mulder, I always have my mind made up early.” The two of them shared a smile across from each other, and for a moment, just a moment, Scully wanted to reach over and place her hand over his, to feel the warmth of his skin radiate against hers and to feel the constellation of little scars that littered his hand underneath her fingertips. But tonight, on a night where she could see the pain etched on his face that he failed to hide from her, and caught him in moments when he was remembering Samantha and his holidays with her, Scully knew he would pull away, wouldn’t want to be kissed by the red-headed woman or for her to hold him in her arms and try to dull the pain. So instead, she picked up the menu and glanced over it. </p>
<p>The two FBI agents sat in silence then, fingers clasped around the glasses holding their drinks, and their gaze drifting around the diner and over each other, Scully pushing her hair behind her ears and Mulder unbuttoning the cuffs of his shirt to roll the sleeves up his arm. They were silent even after their food came to their table, a large plate with a burger and fries placed in front of Mulder, and a bowl of creamy carbonara pasta in front of Scully, something that she rarely indulged in but always enjoyed when she did. Without a word, Mulder pushed his plate of fries between them, knowing that Scully was going to steal his fries anyway, and she let out a sweet laugh that made his heart swell as she plucked a piece of potato from the plate. </p>
<p>They sat like that, eating and watching, until Mulder couldn’t stop looking at one child in particular and Scully couldn’t help but notice, watching how her lovers face pulled tight with grief and pain that could never be matched. She didn’t know what in particular that had caught his eye, because all she saw was a little girl in a bright blue puffy dress, no more than 7 years old and holding a pink pillowcase in one hand with a woman standing beside her, the two of them waiting for the traffic light to change colour so they could cross. But Mulder kept staring, burger going cold and beer forgotten about as he drew his hand into a fist and his knuckles turned white. </p>
<p>“Mulder, what’s wrong? What is it?” She didn’t want to attract the attention of anyone else in the diner, so she kept her voice soft as she leaned over and rested her hand on his arm, jolting Mulder out of whatever thought he was having, and as soon as she went to take her hand back, give him the space she thought he needed, wanted, he placed his hand over hers and squeezed it, sucking in a deep breath and closing his eyes tight. </p>
<p>“Samantha…she, um, had that same dress for her last Halloween.” He opened his eyes and watched as the little girl on the other side of the window disappeared into the distance, before running his thumb over the top of Scully’s wrist, grounding himself. “A little girl in the neighbourhood wanted to go as a princess for Halloween, but she was scared that the other kids were going to make fun of her. So, Samantha decided that she was going to be a princess with the other girl, and she went out shopping with our mum to go get her dress.”</p>
<p>“Oh, Mulder…” Scully didn’t know what else to say as Mulder looked at her with a sudden rush of tears in his eyes, and she got up from her seat and slid into the booth next to him. He gripped onto her in a fast flurry and limps, pushing his head into her neck and letting the tears fall against her shirt and wrapping his big arms around her small waist, pressing up against her in a way that Scully knew meant safety and warmth and love and grief rolled all into one, like a neat little package that held most of their embraces. </p>
<p>Mulder didn’t want to be crying to Scully, in an old diner where the atmosphere was loud and he didn’t want to be surrounded with tacky little Halloween decorations that reminded him of his sister, but he couldn’t help it, couldn’t stop shaking against the small women, fisting her shirt in his hands as her perfectly manicured fingers swept through his hair and rubbed calming circles against his scalp. </p>
<p>And maybe it was just the fried food and cheap beer and seeing the little girl in the dress that made Mulder feel this way, or maybe it was also the fact that all through the week, Scully and Mulder had been searching for the corpses of dead children, something that neither he nor she wanted to ever do again.<br/>
He pulled away slightly, just far enough so that he could see her sad face that made his heart ache, and so she could press a kiss to the top of his forehead, warm and gentle against his skin as he took her hands in his, kissing them as he breathed slowly to calm himself down.</p>
<p>“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make this night so damn sad.” </p>
<p>“Mulder, you didn’t do anything to the night, nor do you have to apologise.” Scully took his face in her hands and swiped her thumb over his cheek as he let out a sigh of relief. “It’s alright to remember Samantha, it’s okay to feel sad and miss her and think about those memories because sometimes, those memories and emotions are the only things keeping her alive. She wouldn’t want you to forget any of it Mulder, especially those memories that make you happy.” He nodded to her, face still between her hands and gaze even to hers as she leaned in and kissed him slow and softly, not pulling away until he was sighing against her and letting a hand rest on her knee. </p>
<p>He wiped the tears from his cheeks, blew his nose into his napkin; a great big snotty trumpet sound that made Scully crack a smile and Mulder smile back, and pull her in to lean against him soon they were eating next to each other, hands tucked together under the table. And even though they were feeling like there were horrible, horrific days that made them want to destroy everything around them and collapse into a world of grief and sadness that constantly threatened to swallow them up, they both knew that the person sitting right beside them, holding their hand and nudging their shoulders against each other, would always be the person to make those days a little brighter, Halloween a little warmer and memories a little less sad.</p>
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